Bottle-soaking machine.



W. L. BODMAN.

BOTTLE SOAKING MACHINE. V APPLIOATION IILED JUNE 7, 1909.

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S/WU W. L. BODMAN. BOTTLE SOAKING MACHINE. APPLICATION I'ILE'D JUNE 7,1909.

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APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 7, 1909. 966,405, Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SH1IBT 3.

W. L. BODMAN. BOTTLE SOAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE], 1909.

Patented Aug.2, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WALTER L. BODMAN, 0F COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO ISAAC RHEINSTROM,OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

BOTTLE-SOAI'IING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

Application filed June 7, 1909. Serial No. 500,700.

it is desirable to subject the bottles to the influence of a fluid, andto feed the bottles through a tank in a manner most effectively exposingthe bottles to the fluid.

The general features of this invention are disclosed and claimed in myprior application, filed October lt, 1908, Serial No. 457,697. Certainfeatures disclosed in the prior application, but not claimed therein,such as the bottle feeding wheel, are claimed in this application, forthe reason that they are herein shown in their preferred form and incombination with other mechanisms not disclosed in my said firstapplication.

The object of the present invention is to provide a positive andefiicient means for horizontally moving the bottles in their supportswhile they are being revolved in the tank, this mechanism beingespecially adapted to engage each of a series of bottles lying upontheir sides in the holders and move them a step at a time in thedirection from the receiving to the discharging end of the tank.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for automaticallyspacing and alining a series of bottles, supported by one of theholders, so as to insure the engagement of the positive feedinginstrument-alities between the adjacent ends of the bottles in a mannerpreventing breaking or clog- 111 y g Afhother object of the inventionrelates to improved means for automatically passing the bottles, one ata time, into the holders formed on the periphery of the wheel within thetank.

The invention comprises other features of improvements which will bemore especially pointed out in the specification.

Various other features of this invention are more fully set forth in thedescription of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation of the receivingend of the device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is an endelevation of the discharging end of the device showing the drivingmechanism. Fig. 4 is a top plan view. Figs. 5, 6, and '7, show detailviews of the instrumentalities for automatically placing the bottles.

1 represents the tank.

2 is a horizontal shaft extending through v the tank and mounted uponsuitable bearings therein. Upon this shaft 2 are mounted thespider-wheels 4, formed with peripheral lugs 3, which support a seriesof rods extending parallel with the axis. These 'rods are arranged ingroups of four, 5*, 5",

5, 5 respectively, each group constltuting a longitudinally extendedbottle holder, adapted to hold at the same time a series of bottleslying upon their sides, end to end, in a manner permitting the bottlesto be shifted endwise from one end to the other of the holder. Thisendless carrier or wheel is rotated in the tank and the bottles arepositively fed endwise through the holders in directions parallel withthe axis, so that each bottle moves continuously in the plane ofvertical rotation, and in step movement-s horizontally through the tank.This form of bottle holder offers the least possible resistance to themovement of the wheel through the water and at the same time mostefiiciently exposes the bottles to contact with the water.

Outside of the tank, at the receiving end, and upon shaft 2, is mounteda feeding wheel 6, having on its periphery a series of curved plates 7,each adapted to support a bottle, and to carry it upward to the point atwhich the bottle is passed into the holders within the tank, thedirection of movement being indicated by the arrow, Fig. 1. Upon theother end of the shaft 2, outside of the tank, and at the discharge end,is fixed a worm wheel 8, driven by the worm 9, on shaft 10, driven bypulley wheel 12.

12 represents a pulley for transmitting power to the bottle washingmachine 14. 13 represents a pump also actuated by the shaft 11 forsupplying water to the tank.

This pump also supplies water to a washing machine 14, see Fig. 4,driven in connection with the soaking mechanism, the coacting mechanismof the washing and soaking machines forming the subject-matter of aseparate application now under preparation.

The feeding mechanism, not only serves to shift the bottles from plate 7into the holders 5*, etc., but it also extends across the tank parallelwith the axis of rotation and is arranged to progressively feed thebottles, one at a time, from one end of the tank to the other, in stepmovements.

15 represents a vertical shaft on the outside of the tank, having adriven connection with the shaft 10, through the engagement of bevelpinions 16, 17.

18 represents a shaft mounted in suitable bearings at the top of thetank and extending parallel with the axis.

19 represents an angularly disposed shaft at the top of the tank, havinga driven connection with the shaft 15, through the engagement of thebevel pinion and gear wheels 20, 21. Shaft 19 has a driven connectionwith shaft 18, through the engagement of bevel pinions 22, 23. Uponshaft 18 is fixed a series of bevel pinions 24.

25 represents a supporting rail extending horizontally across the top ofthe tank and overhanging the wheel 6.

26 represents a series of stud shafts journaled at intervals upon thesupport 25, said shafts being angularly inclined relative to the shaft18, and being driven therefrom by the bevel pinions 27 respectivelyintermeshed with the bevel pinions 24, on the shaft 18. Upon the outerends of the shafts 26 are secured the rotary feeding devices 28, eachcomposed of a series of radial spokes 29, the distance between the endsbeing greater than the length of the longest bottle to be fed. Thesemembers 28 rotate in planes disposed at an angle to the plane ofrotation of the wheel in the tank, the angle and the relative rotationbeing such, that the ends of the spokes move into and out of the radialspaces defined by the bottle holding rods 5-, etc., as the bottlecarrier is rotated, so as to fall between the adjacent ends of thebottles supported in a row by a single holder, imparting to each of saidbottles a lateral movement from the receiving to the discharging end ofthe soaker. The two rotating feeding members at the receiving end of thetank operate in like manner in relation to the bottles supported uponthe plates 7, so as to feed the bottles to the holders of the carrier inthe tank. The rotary feeding members which overhang the tank operatesuccessively upon the bottles in the successive holders, as they arebrought, one at a time, by the bottle carrier into the line of action ofthe spokes 29.

In order to insure such a spacing of the bottles constituting a givenrow supported by a holder, as will insure the ends of the spokes fallinginto position between the adjacent ends of the bottles, 1 provide thefollowing automatic bottle spacing instrumentalities, see Figs. 4, 5, 6and 7.

30 represents a supporting angle iron across the top of the tank locatedin front of the feeding devices relative to the direction of rotation ofthe bottle holders in the tank.

31 represents a longitudinally, reciprocating rod extended across thesame and supported in suitable bearings, said rod being held in normalposition by the spring 32, connecting one end of the rod with the end ofthe tank. Upon the other end of the rod 31, is the U-bracket 33.

34 is a bell crank lever fulcrumed on top of the angle iron 30, andhaving a pin and slot connection 35, with the bracket 33, forlongitudinally moving the rod 31. The free end of the bell crank lever34, has a lug 36,

extending in position to be engaged by the peripheral lugs 3, of thebottle carrying wheel in the tank. The spacing devices are duplicates,and the description of one will be sufficient; they each comprise asleeve 37, having a downwardly extended pintle 38, swiveled in thebearing 39, on the angle iron 30. Each sleeve has a rear extension 40,pivotally connected to the rod 31, this arrangement laterallyoscillating the sleeve when the rod 31, is longitudinally reciprocated.

41 represents the spacing finger, having the yoke end 42, connected bybolt 43, to the sleeve 37. By reason of this arrangement, the fingersare positively oscillated laterally and are free to rise and fallvertically, so as to fall into posit-ion between the supporting rods 5",etc., and in position between the ends of the bottles, thus imparting tothem a predetermined lateral shifting which will separate themsufficiently to insure the ends of the spokes 29, traveling between theends of the bottles. It will be seen that the lugs 3, actuate the bellcrank lever 34, reciprocating the rod 31, and laterally oscillating thespacing fingers 41, to automatically space a row of bottles preparatoryto the engagement of the rotary bottle feeding members 28.

The bottles are preferably discharged, one at a time, into a receivingmechanism constituting a part of the bottle washing machine, and neednot be here described. 7

Each of the plates 7 is adapted to receive a single bottle and carry itup to the first two of the rotary feeds 28, which act on thesuccessively presented bottles to insert them into the successive bottleholders of the carrier in the tank. hen the carrier in the tank has madeone complete rotation, each holder will contain a single bottle at thereceiving end, which has been shifted along a step toward thedischarging end of the carrier. Upon the second rotation of the carrier,a second bottle will be transmitted into each holder and so on untileach holder contains a row of bottles lying upon their sides, end toend, a single holder being adapted to hold a row of six bottles in themechanism shown in the drawings.

It is obvious that this organization has an immense bottle holdingcapacity, that it offers little resistance to the water, that eachbottle is substantially surrounded by the water when immersed, and thatthe continuous vertical revolution of the bottles in conjunction withthe intermitting lateral movement of the bottles causes each bottle todescribe a spiral path through the tank, most efficiently subjecting itto the action of the water or fluid, whether the work is soaking orsterilizing in its nature. Also, the positive feeding of the bottlesinto the holders and the step-like lateral shifting of the bot- .tlesthrough the holders, without clogging the machine or breaking thebottles, is a feature of the greatest practical value in the commercialutilization of the invent-ion.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A machine of the classdescribed, comprising a tank, a rotatable carrier therein, having acircumferential series of axially disposed bottle holders and eachadapted to support a series of bottles lying upon their sides, end toend, and a rotatable feeder operating in conjunction with the bottleholders to engage the end of a bottle and move it longitudinally in thedirection from the receiving to the discharging end of the tank.

2. A machine of the class described, comprising a tank, a rotatablecarrier therein, having a. circumferential series of axially disposedbottle holders and each adapted to support a series of bottles lyingupon their sides, end to end, and a feeder rotatable in a plane inclinedto the plane of rotation of the carrier, and adapted to engage the endsof the bottles supported in the holders and to move them a step towardthe discharging end of the tank, and means adapted to rotate the saidcarrier and feeder at relative speeds, for the purposes described.

3. A machine of the class described, comprising a tank, a rotatablebottle carrier, bottle holders thereon, a rotatable feeder having radialmembers adapted to engage the bottles in the holders and move themendwise, the carrier and feeder being relatively inclined and rotated tocause the radial members to move into and out of the holders, for thepurposes described.

a. A machine of the class described, comprising a tank, a rotatablecarrier therein, having a circumferential series of axially disposedbottle holders and each adapted to support a series of bottles lyingupon their sides, end to end, and a series of rotatable feeders eachinclined to the axis of the carrier, provided with members to engageinto the holders as they are successively presented and to move a lineof bottles in step movements toward the discharge end of the tank.

5. A machine of the class described, comprising a tank, a rotatablecarrier therein, having a circumferential series of axially disposedbottle holders and each adapted to support a series of bottles lyingupon their sides, end to end, a wheel on the outside end of the shaftformed with peripheral bottle holders, and a series of rotary feedersadapted to transmit the bottles from the outside holders to the holderson the carrier within thetank and to cooperate with the holders in thetank to shift the bottles in step movements from the receiving to thedischarging end of the tank.

6. A machine of the class described, comprising a tank, a rotatablecarrier therein, having a circumferential series of axially disposedbottle holders and each adapted to support a series of bottles upontheir sides, end to end, a series of rotatable feeders adapted to movein and out of the holders and shift the bottles endwise, and means forautomatically spacing the bottles in each holder before they arepresented to the feeders.

7. A machine of the class described, comprising a tank, a rotatablecarrier therein, having a circumferential series of axially disposedbottle holders and each adapted to support a series of bottles upontheir sides, end to end, a series of rotatable feeders adapted to movein and out of the holders and shift the bottles endwise, and a series ofbottle spacing fingers adapted to be automatically reciprocatedlaterally by the carrier, and adapted to move vertically whereby thefingers fall into position between the ends of the bottles and space thebottles held by a given holder in advance of the presentation of thebottles to the feeding mechanism.

8. In a machine of the class described, a wheel, having a series of rodson its periphery grouped to form a circumferential series of axiallydisposed bottle holders, and a rotatable feeder having radial spokes,the said wheel and feeder being relatively inclined and rotated to causethe spokes to move into and out of the spaces between the rods of aholder to engage the end of a bottle and move it endwise'horizontallywhile it is being rotated vertically by the carrier.

9. A machine of the class described, a tank, a rotatable carriertherein, having a circumferential series of axially disposed bottleholders, each adapted to support a series of bottles lying upon theirsides, end to end, a series of fingers adapted to fall into positionbetween the ends of the bottles supported by a given holder, and meansactuated by the carrier to automatically shift said fingers laterallyfor moving the bottles in their holders.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a rotatablemember, rods on the periphery thereof grouped to form a series of bottleholders, and a rotatable feeder having spokes adapted to move into andout of the bottle holding channels between the rods.

11. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a rotatablemember, rods on the periphery thereof grouped to form a series of bottleholders, a rotatable feeder having spokes adapted to move into and outof the bottle holding channels between the rods, a series of spacingfingers adapted to fall into position between the ends of the bottles ofa holder prior to their presenta tion to the feeder, and means forautomatically actuating the fingers to space the bottles.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a shaft anda rotatable member thereon, formed with peripheral bottle holders, acounter-shaft parallel With the shaft of the rotary member and driventherefrom, a series of stud shafts projecting at an angle from thecountershaft and driven therefrom, a rotatable feeder upon each of saidinclined shafts having radial spokes, adapted to shift the bottleslaterally. I

13. In combination With a rotatable carrier and peripheral bottleholders thereon, each adapted to support a series of bottles lying upontheir sides end to end, a series of fingers adapted to be automaticallyshifted laterally in the holders to engage the ends of the bottles andmove them along in their holders, and means for moving said fingers intoand out of said holders as the carrier is rotated to successively act-With relation to the successively presented holders.

14. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a rotatablecarrier formed With peripheral bottle holders, and a series of rotatablefeeders arranged in a line parallel With the axis of the carrier andacting at an angle thereto, said feeders being adapted to laterallyshift the bottles in each holder as it is brought into position.

15. In a machine of the class described, in combination With a rotatablecarrier formed with peripheral holders, a series of automatic spacingfingers acting in a line parallel with the axis of the carrier toposition the bottles in the holders as they are successively presented,and a series of rotatable feeders acting in a line parallel With theaxis of the carrier and adapted to laterally shift the series of bottlesin the holders successively brought into position after the spacingoperation.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

WALTER L. BODMAN.

Witnesses OLIVER B. KAisnR, EMMA SPENER.

